Bending The Light

In Bending The Light, his second volume of verse, René A. Martin trains his lens unflinchingly on interior landscapes, the contours of which have been powerfully influenced by memory. The poems, often tinged with nostalgia, are a tribute to formative influences of his youth in Trinidad, his island homeland. They trace the emergence of a distinctive poetic vision. There are three sections to the book. Part one explores experiences such as going to hear a police orchestra play classical music, a family vacation at a coastal village, and the pains of separation from loved ones. The poems of part two recall and examine memorable experiences of his school years. In part three, the poems lay bare the myriad emotions stirred up by viewing photographs in an old family album. The themes, though rooted in memory, transcend time and geography and ultimately affirm a shared humanity.